Wallace Wood: The Best Comics Artist Ever? 

“Wallace Wood’s 22 Panels That Always Work” still holds true today for sequential art storytelling.

"Being a comic book artist is like sentencing yourself to life imprisonment at hard labor in solitary confinement." What a tragic statement. I am a huge Jack Kirby fan, and Jack also was a very hard working man. He called his basement studio "a dungeon". But at least he had a loving wife and lots of children and he could work at home, even though he would only leave his dungeon for short times.

Wallace Wood's story was always heart breaking. It is good to see he is still getting love after all these years. He inspired(and continues to inspire) generations of artists. ComicTropes always brings the good stuff.

Chris I'm sorry to hear that you're having a rough time emotionally . Creative , smart , witty people seem particularly prone to self doubt and the less appealing side of our emotions . I share your struggle and I'm very much an admirer of you and the educational work you do here on RU-vid my long time educator .

I know Bob Layton, who doesn't live too far from me in Seoul, and we've spoken a lot about his life in comics. Layton worked under Wood and speaks fondly about him,. Calling him 'Woody', Layton says how much he learned from Wood and how brilliant he was as a creator, a teacher, and a friend. Wally Wood is a legend.

Chris sorry to hear of your depression. We love you man, your passion for comics is a gift to us all!

I understand your battle with depression. I’ve been battling it for half my life. Your channel is one of my go-to’s for great comic stories about comics’ greatest creators. Keep fighting the good fight.

So happy to see you covering him! There should be more stuff about him. He's one of the few artists that was equally good at "realism" and cartooning!

I discovered Wallace Wood because I really like Power Girl. My favorite bit of trivia is that Wood realized his editor didnt care about what he was doing so he kept increasing PG's bust size to see if his editor would even notice.

Glad to see a Wallace Wood episode! Loved his Daredevil work and it led me to finding his Cannon work.

Wally Wood was my dad’s favorite artist. He turned me onto him, and comics in general, when I was very young. Thanks, Pop!

The constance of Wood's work is amazing! Certainly one of the greatests. All the best, my friend!

I was a student/assistant of Bill Pearson's in 1984 - 1988. Bill had/has a huge collection of comics and comic art, most impressive was he had inherited all of Wood's original art after Wood passed. I saw the originals of Superduperman and tons of other icons of Wood's work. Unfortunately, much of Bill's collection was lost when a fire destroyed a storage shed he kept much of his collection in. Much survived but much more was lost. Wally Wood really was one of the very greatest cartoonists ever.

Wood’s influence on the entire comics industry is tangible even today. I loved his EC stuff, particularly on “Weird Science.” His lush drawing style cannot be imitated. When I saw the “B-17” segment of “Heavy Metal,” I immediately thought “this looks like a Wallace Wood story from “Frontline Combat”

Comic tropes uploads = a good way to start my weekend.

No other comic channel I watch does deep dives into artist like Chris. THAT'S why I'm a patreon member.

One thing I noticed, even at a reduced size you can always tell what’s going on in his panels. He was a master at values.

Wood was an amazing artist. I absolutely love his classic pulp sci-fi stuff. The rocket ships... the bubble helmets... The whole look. Fantastic!

His quote about working in comics is like a life sentence in solitary confinement is spot on. Great episode Chris, thanx!

Wood and Frazetta were the top artists in that time period, along with Al Williamson.

To hear what he said before he passed is heartbreaking. To think he regrets having the talent he had. Sending positive vibes Chris, I know having depression myself it can be all consuming so stay busy and I love the channel, been killing it lately!

My all time #1, Wood's 22 panels is a must have/see for any comic artist. Thanks for the Video on him.

If there was a Mount Rushmore of Comics, Wood would def be one of the group. A master who could draw any genre and make it look better than anybody.

There is nothing like a comic illustrator who loves comics and the history itself. The biggest thing about Wood that impresses me is that he was a damn fine, good funny cartoonist too. Many great action adventure illustrators can’t draw funny, period. I also loved his versatility being able to mimic styles from the drawing to the inkng; he did the best mad comic strip parodies. In the mid 80s, I worked with a young woman who said her brother was in an assistant for him at Syracuse, New York. She said that Wood, drunk with a gun, chased around her brother. Does any of this check out?

Legend has it that when Wally would come into the office to start his day the other artists would greet him saying, "Morning, Wood," and Wally would reply, "That's what she said." Hysterical. I bet this never got old.

The thought of drawing *10-12* hours per day every day for years is so bad I can almost feel my rist seize up from carpal tunnel injuries and my eyes turning to jelly from strain. Absolutely hellish. How comic book artists back then managed that remorseless pace while still retaining *such* stunning high quality is mind blowing.

Seems like Bob Kane took Wallace Wood's advice to heart!

Became a fan of Woody's during the 60's. His work, along with Kirby, Ditko & Gil Kane, was incredible for kids truly into comics. Any story he did was an event. Like Steranko & Adams he was a true star. He could draw any genre.

Solid intro to Wood. I agree with the title-he’s the GOAT in my book (along with Kirby & Crumb). Besides the top-notch craft, something indescribable about his work (charisma? soul?). Looking forward to more …

Another great piece and wonderful to hear one on a legend like Wallace Wood. Thank you, Chris for consistently putting out the most thoughtful and in-depth comics related content. You have a true passion for the art and the medium.

From what little I've heard about his condition, Wallace Wood may have suffered from Pseudo Tumor Cerebri (PTC), a condition where the spinal chord makes too much fluid, causing pressure on the brain which causes constant headaches and can lead to blindness. Even in the early 2000s it was difficult for doctors to diagnose, usually being treated as 'just a headache.'

Excellent job. The distinctive, fluid compositions, and stellar anatomy makes Wood's art something that made the world better because of. Remember that daredevil cover. His style is something you can't unsee😂❤

To answer your title, the answer is Yes. One of my big regrets was to see Mr. Wood sitting behind me at a convention and never telling him what his work meant to me and the field. Love this channel.

An excellent summary of my favorite EC artist. But you'd never want to tell him "I liked your old stuff better"!

Wood was the GOAT. His EC stuff is unparalleled.

I was 11 years old in the 50's and anything I could find by Wallace wood was my art school. He taught me to draw!

Such an important artist in the honored history of comics. Thank you Chris for bringing for spotlighting these Legends 🙌

I am fortunate. I am 68 and retired. Now I can draw and sketch whatever. A dream come true😊

One of my greatest pleasures of working Cons oh-so-many-years-ago was getting to hang out with Al Feldstein for a day. When I asked him about Wood, this rock-hard New Yorker got a sightly pained look on his face, glanced away and said: "Great artist - great guy!...I really, really don't know what happened with him...". I didn't push the subject. Anyway. Cheers, Chris.

Woody is definitely on Comics Mount Rushmore!! Such a huge influence on the medium from his beginning to today and beyond. Thanks Chris!!

I'm glad to hear that you are making Wallace Wood a multi-episode endeavor. He is a fascinating creative force. I understand depression since it's something I've dealt with my entire life. Thank you for all you do to make us more informed on the great creators of the past. You are their voice in our times. Only special people can do that.

This is a really great tribute to easily one of the greatest artists the comics medium has ever known; Wood was so ambitious and versatile it's hard not to be inspired by him. I remember taking a year off of my comic series just to beef up my drawing skills and more than anyone else I studied Wood (and yes, I improved!), mainly his work on MAD, Cannon, and witzend. It's always great to find more of his work out there, so thank you again for the recommendations. EDIT: also forgot to mention the Dr. Doom stories he did for Astonishing Tales; he only did a few but they're still fantastic (...sorry, Doom, should I choose a different adjective?)

Wait! Have we seriously not covered this already?! How did this go unnoticed? Been a long time coming! So much thanx!!! 🙌🏼

Oh, can't wait to hear more about Wallace Wood! More artist related videos please!

Wood was one of those artists that made a friend and I want to create our own comics back in the 60s and 70s. We got pretty good at drawing but we learned that it was harder than you might expect. Discipline is key. We didn't have it.

Wood was a master. On another note: Thank you so much for your amazing videos, Chris! Please take care of yourself ❤

Hi Chris, just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with depression. I'm also in the same boat and can honestly say your videos are a wonderful escape from it. Thanks for each video and hope things get brighter for you, man.

Thanks for this episode, love your reviews of great comics creators! 😁👍

Incredible work, I want to search for more of his 50s work now. Regarding a permanent headache, I got something similar a few years ago and it was a combination of burnout, bad sleep, eye strain that needed glasses, and the "incinting incident" was a very bad flu, that I think just was the final straw for all the previous problems get to me and my body just gave out. I imagine Wood's vacation gave him a proper rest in years just brought all the abuse he got to his mind and body to the surface; smoking as he did surely didn't help: probably had blood circulation problems as smoking thickens the blood making it a strain to the heart to pump it, so it can lead to heart failures. It's sad that such a great, talented artist was abused and exploited to that extent his body just gave up on him like that 😢 what's worse it's still such a common situation even today...

I loved his mad magazine work. Top quality.

You might have read these words many times, but believe me, your channel is a gem, and that's coming from all over across the ocean

Wallace Wood is one of the only artists whose black & white reproductions outshine the original printed page. Stripping away the color allows you to see how good the artwork really is. Fantastic stuff.

Thank you so much for this story on one of my favorites. I found him with the THUNDER AGENTS books and I became a life long fan. I think you're doing a great job. I hope you continue doing this.

"If I had it all to do over again, I'd cut off my hands" THAT is IT! As a comic book artist, it defines the experience perfectly. I'll share it with every buddy artist I meet.

7:51 "Never draw what you can copy, never copy what you can trace, and never trace what you can cut out and paste up" Wallace Wood

I remember Daredevil vs Sub-Mariner from the 1974 Marvel Holiday Treasury. Clearly Stan Lee knew this was one in a million. Best comic art ever.

Im sorry to hear about your struggle with depression. I know it can be a black hole that just sucks you in and all you can do is survive until it passes. I hope it helps to know that so many care about you and how important you are to all of us! 😊

Really cool hearing about the man, the myth, the legend: Mr Wallace Wood! The working conditions always sound so terrible so it's no surprise a lot of those guys got kinda jaded. Such a shame to see that talent and production come at the cost of their lives basically. Thanks for sharing this though. At least we can remember his work as the greatness it is

MAD has always had an absolute glut of talented artists. Before I got into comics, it was MAD magazine. I would love to see more about MAD in general.

Wood was the greatest. My fav. artist of all time. If I could go back in time, I would go back to 60's just to meet him. I would pay just to watch him work. He was THE MAN.

Terrific little pocket review of Wood's EC career. Loads I didn't know. Enjoyed it immensely. Thanks. Hope your health improves. Let us know if you get better. Don't like to think of people struggling like this. Take care.

YES! I'LL NEVER FORGET WALLACE WOOD! HIS FUNNY STUFF FOR MAD, THE AGENTS OF THUNDER, AND MORE!

It is worth noting that the Harry Harrison you mention is not just any Harry Harrison, but actually the SFWA Grand Master, Science fiction writer Harry Harrison, creator of series such as Deathworld, the Stainless Steel Rat, and Bill the Galactic Hero.

Looking forward to your future episodes on Wood! Sorry to hear about your depression. 😢 Keep your head up, dude. Hope you’re doing okay.

As someone who deals with Migraines I'm not surprised that with no medical relief He would use alcohol. The pain takes a lot of your concentration to sought of manage and you don't realize the physical strain until the pain subsides and your feel exhausted, with no relief his life would have become a living hell. To do anything under those conditions takes an incredible effort.The tablet I use is called maxalt it works very well I'm sure if medication like this was available to him it would have made a world of difference. Really enjoying your channel I Thank you and all who work with you for making it. Take care

If you look at Wally’s work on Mad Magazine’s Blobs you can see how it influenced Pixar’s Wall-e. I wonder if they named it after Wally Wood?

Great timing theres a Wallace Wood art book being published in September. Stay strong and get well soon. Always love your videos.

great, visionary and extraordinary comic book artist Wally Wood, Thank you very much Chris

As a 70's kid MAD Magazine was a highly sought delight. Beside the monthly issues, you could buy reprint paperbacks that included comic features from the 50's and 60's like Wood's "Superduperman" and "The Wild One Half." These had dated subject matter but the retro art style and humor were gripping. Wood could impersonate any other comics artist, and his own style had a ludicrous dignity that was hilarious even if you had no idea who or what was being parodied.

Precious tribute to one of the most important artist ever. I'm 82 today and have drawn since my scholl days. Wood was my inspiration and had been one of my favourites. His work with DC was classical!

thank you for making this episodes looking foward for the next one

Another great episode. Amazing work/artist. Those detailed environments were really something.

Fascinating video, looking forward to part 2. Thanks for sharing about your struggles, you have all our support

Thanks for creating another amazing episode. You always do a great job showcasing comic history.

Amazing episode! Excited for future eps on Wallace Wood!

Fantastic video. Can't wait for next episode on Wallace Wood

Thank you Chris for this awesome piece on Wallace Wood. Love the in depth coverage of his early work. Excited to see the next chapter of this coverage. Take your time, and please keep yourself healthy.

I'm excited for this extended look at a creator. So cool!!

Thank you for doing an episode on one of my all time favorite artists. I'm looking forward to more episodes on him.

That was a great primer to learning about Wally Wood. Thanks so much for making this!

Awesome episode!!! Can't wait for more of your research and insights into Wood: ) Thank you again, Chris. I am sad to know you are suffering, but know that your videos have helped me a lot through my own depression/anxiety (as they undoubtedly do for many others). You a wonderfully giving human being: )

Rest In Power, King.

Keep your head up chris! Thanks for another great video - has been a time since i last watched an episode - still, always great stuff when i do

Great episode! Wallace Wood is one of one of those names I heard a lot and I’m glad to learn more about him on your channel

Wonderful episode of a wonderful talent! Thanks !

Great episode, Chris! Always learning with your channel. Thank you.

Man hope there’s a part 2 soon. This was great

Thank you for sharing another great artist. I love the detail that Wallace Wood was drawing in those Sci-Fi panels. And please take care of yourself!

Beautifully made content, as always. Keep up the good work!

You're one of the most informative, interesting and instructive comic channels there is! Keep up the good work and please stay healthy :)

Thanks for the deep dive. What absolutely stunning art by Mr. Wood! I have been struggling with depression since a little before covid. Thank you for your openness. While it's a battle , it is good to know that you're not the only one. And with depression I think really it's easy to feel that way.

Great episode yet again, Chris!

Thank you for enlightening me about the legendary Wallace Woods. You have added depth to one of the titans of the industry.

Coming back for more Wallace Wood is a good call. I can't wait for the next one, I'd love a deep dive on any of his eras or genres.

Thank you for everything Chris. You are the best! Don t give up. You have the best comicbook channel in the universe!😊❤

Love your content here, man, so I’m glad it’s a source of pleasure for you through depression rather than simply a drain ;~; another great episode as a gem in my RU-vid catch-up

great episode chris! you rock man!

I was blessed to have Tatjana Wood as my colorist when I debuted. ❤

great video chris!! i get most of my comic recs from you, and im excited to read more of woody’s work! also, i about dropped my phone when i heard his wife was the colorist for moore’s swamp thing!! what an artistic family!!

Great episode! Thanks for this one!